This morning Houston; this afternoon Dallas. We wasted no time and, after a quick check in, we were off walking to the JFK Museum. Those of us who are of a certain age will always remember what we were doing on 22 November, 1963, and with no morbid curiosity whatsoever, I simply wanted to see the place which housed the memories of this historic event.
The museum is situated on the 6th Floor, which was once the home of a book packing business, at Dealey Plaza. From there (a window on the right hand corner as you stand and look up at the building) it is alleged that Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shot which killed the young President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I say “alleged” as it is 55 years this year since the assassination and to this day conspiracy theories abound. Did walking through a minute by minute account of the shootings help, or standing in the room where it is said Lee Harvey Oswald stood and watched the motorcade approach before taking the shot once the car had turned and passed in front of his window? Not a bit! I don’t suppose seeing the grassy knoll where other shots were heard will help either. The investigation closed some years ago through lack of evidence to support other theories and I guess we will never know. It was a sad time for America and who would know that “curse of the Kennedy’s” would continue to visit this materially privileged family and affect so many more members in the following years.
‘Book Repository’ – now museum on the Sixth Floor.
The two crosses on the road mark where the cavalcade was when the bullets were fired. The ‘Grassy knoll’ is to the left.
The window where the shots which killed Kennedy are supposed to have come from.
Time for dinner and an exploration of Dallas tomorrow.
Stepping out from the hotel, the wall of heat just envelops you. We set out in a morning temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (Carolyn says don’t put Centigrade!). Whatever – it’s a rather warm 98.6 Fahrenheit!!!
We opt to explore this beautiful city via a hop on/hop off trolley bus, but recognise there will be walking involved. Our first stop involved an opportunity to get up close to the most amazing display of bronze statues called “Cattle Drive”. It looks as though the cattle are heading for the city in a large herd. Really clever.
The ‘Cattle Drive’!
From there we toured the city until we were decanted somewhere near Reunion Tower, which was definitely worth a visit. Each city in America appears to have such a tower overlooking its tall buildings and the Dallas structure did not disappoint. We were able to walk around the viewing platform and enjoy the sights we had seen from a different perspective. A really helpful lady steward heard our English accents and went out of her way to converse and entertain. She pointed out the markers on the road outside Dealey Plaza which showed exactly where the car was when JFK was hit. The grassy knoll next to the building is exactly as it was and she shared once again some of the conspiracy theories we had heard the previous day. To this day, Dallas feels the shame of being the city which failed to prevent the President of the United States being assassinated.
From here, Carolyn had the great idea (as it was mid afternoon) that we might head for a bar she had researched which had great live music and food. It wasn’t too far, she thought. Hmmmm! The afternoon felt much hotter than when we left in the morning and we were constantly in need of liquid but a walk was not a bad idea….oh yes it was! I’m sure Carolyn will talk about the bar which was closed because of a private event, although she may not mention the hour it took to get there and the fact that we needed to stop at a very seedy McDonald’s for a much needed cold drink. Suffice to say, we ended up going to Hooters of all places with their under-clad and over-endowed serving staff. Interesting. I politely declined the idea of walking back to the hotel afterwards though… enough!
On the road again tomorrow and a pit stop in Odessa.
Reunion Tower at night.
Carolyn’s Curios and Curiosities
‘#55years’ Great exhibition and experience. Reliving memories from my teenage years. Sad but uplifting as well. I don’t remember where I was when Kennedy died but I know I felt a loss. His hopes and dreams of a brighter future seemed dimmed if not extinguished. The song ‘Abraham, Martin and John’ (originally by Dion but a big hit in the UK by Marvin Gaye) has a particular poignancy – we’d visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on our Music City Road Trip and went to the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, where Martin Luther King Jnr. was shot, later that trip. Now in Dallas, we see both the road where Kennedy was assassinated and the window of the Book Repository from where the shot is alleged to have been fired. We mustn’t let that dream die with the men who spoke so passionately about it. I, too, have a dream that one day…!
‘#55years’ Great exhibition and experience.
Dallas – memories of “Who shot JR?” from the eponymous TV series and, more significantly, “Who shot JFK?”
The trolley bus tour made Dallas more real and appealing. Miles of concrete greeted us as we drove in with a slightly aberrant Sat. Nav. but we triumphed. Very hot evening and equally hot day but now 500 feet up on Reunion Tower and there’s a breeze!
The local football team (NFL) is the Cowboys so what else could we do for a photo… “Yee-haw!” with Captain America thrown in!
Kath mentioned my suggestion about a visit to well-known music bar… Well, it seemed a good idea – music, food and, perhaps, a drink. And, apparently, our friend, Emily, had been there according to Facebook.
However, … wouldn’t you know… no music tonight, snacks only at the bar and… the requested cocktail (on their menu!) couldn’t be made as they didn’t have the ingredients. Maybe next time!
But, resisting the temptingly titled (chuckle) ‘Dick’s Last Resort’ as an alternative, we moved to the equally suggestively titled ‘Hooters’ and, despite the two giant carved owls outside, we knew the intended allusion.
The local football team (NFL) is the Cowboys so what else could we do for a photo… “Yee-haw!” with Captain America shield thrown in!
Apologies immediately, Kathleen Rainbow!
I tried hard to resist but a ”twit with two whos?!” Really, really sorry – and it was outside Hooters!
I tried hard to resist but a ”twit with two whos?!” Really, really sorry – and it was outside Hooters!
kathrainbow 